My Favorite Chili

Is it just me or is chili a summer food? For some reason summer and chili go hand-in-hand with me. It was below 90 degrees yesterday so I figured I'd better take my (possibly only) chance and cook some up. I love chili. The only thing that makes it better is corn bread. I've been seeing a pin flying around lately with a chili topped cornbread waffle and I thought I'd give it a go. It turned out great. Not needing to turn on my oven was awesome, the waffle iron cooked it really quick, and Logan thought it was so cool eating a waffle with his soup. Win-win-win! A full cornbread waffle is a little more cornbread then I can handle with my chili, so we just halved them. 

I thought I'd share with you all my favorite recipe. I am a hard core chili lover so I'm not overly discriminating. Even if it has mushrooms in it (gag) I will still devour it. My best friend hates chili so I always make it a point to let her know when I eat it. So, Renee, this post is for you!

My Favorite Chili
This is basically just a "throw it all in" recipe. So change it up anyway you like!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 lb beef (or turkey or any protein you want to substitute here, I'm sure quinoa would even go well with this)
2 bell peppers (mix and match, I usually do 1 red 1 green)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
salt to taste
cheese, cilantro, sour cream, or whatever you want to garnish it with

Directions:
Dice onion and mince garlic. Throw it in a pan with a bit of oil and cook for a minute or two on medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until brown.

Meanwhile, dice the bell peppers. Once the beef is browned throw the peppers in. Cook for 2 minutes then add the spices and cook until fragrant, just a minute or two.

Add the kidney beans and tomatoes and stir everything together. Put a lid on it and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Garnish it any way you like and enjoy.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Perfect meal for moving week. Or in our case, moving month. We closed on our house 2 weeks ago and it has been the longest 2 weeks of my life (besides the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy with Logan, of course). We have been so busy washing, repairing, painting, washing, cleaning, ripping out carpet, and the list goes on. Buying a foreclosure is a lot of work. But, I do get to make the house what I want so that is great! Yesterday I had a great time trying to fix the garage door by myself with a very unhappy baby while Brian was up at school. It ended with a very hysterical me calling Brian in tears telling him I broke the garage. I didn't, but I felt like  I did. It all ended well, Brian fixed it with little effort and I got to go home and have this for leftovers.

This recipe was a simple throw-everything-in-the-crockpot-and-let-it-cook recipe. Love it. And it made A LOT of soup, so we are having continuous leftovers this week since I have been too busy to cook. I think everyone is sick of chili but I'm not yet. I am a hardcore chili lover. But I think I need to freeze what is left of it and spare my family another meal of leftover chili. I'd give this recipe 4 stars. I forgot to buy sour cream to serve with it, but for sour cream lovers I would stress serving it with this. 

I know I have fallen off the wagon with my cooking lately, but I promise, we only have one more week of hell (exams, moving, and cleaning and vacating the apartment) and I will be back to my regular self, hopefully...

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Source: Skinny Taste
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped 
1 16-oz can black beans 
1 16-oz can kidney beans 
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (used a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes)
1 packet taco seasoning 
1 tbsp cumin 
1 tbsp chili powder
24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts 
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro 
  
Directions:
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).